The Room of Hidden Things
by Darkest Heiress
Summary: After the war the Room of Requirement became Hermione's special place. Inside the room she finds a surprising something, or someone. The Room of Hidden Things is filled with more secrets than she knew, and so is she. Inside the room Hermione finds a hidden person, hidden secrets, and hidden feelings she never thought she would discover
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

 **Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who's read this. Please review, criticism is welcomed.**

Light streamed through the castle window. Hermione sat up, feeling comfortable and at home in her Hogwarts bed. Then she looked out the window at the destruction surrounding the Gryffindor tower and her face fell. She remembered the battle that had taken place less than a week before. The Daily Prophet had already deemed it The Final Battle, or the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had agreed to stay at Hogwarts for a couple days to help repair the castle. Hermione couldn't believe the amount of damage that had been done. Luckily, her favorite room of the castle hadn't been damaged. The Room of Requirement was as mysterious and helpful as always. After the battle when the trio had started helping clean up, Hermione had become so overwhelmed an hour later she'd found herself crying quietly in the enchanted room. Since then Hermione visited the room whenever she felt too upset or just needed to be alone. Hermione glanced at the clock on her bedside table and saw it was only about four in the morning. She frowned, but slid out of bed. The night before had been the first that she'd slept through without nightmares since the battle. She was sure if she drifted back to sleep she would enter the dark, terrifying world that her dreams took place in. Hermione didn't have to even think about where to go. Her slipper clad feet took the familiar route to the Room of Requirement. She didn't think about what she wanted the room to look like anymore. She just paced silently in front of it for a minute. The room was always better at knowing what she needed then she was. When she turned to face the doorway she was surprised. Instead of the large, stone doorway that usually appeared, she faced an intricate mahogany door. She hesitated for only a second before pushing the door open.

When she stepped inside the room, Hermione gasped. She found herself standing in a shockingly familiar room, one she had hoped to never see again. She was standing in a large, dim room with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and an empty fire place against the wall. Hermione shivered, the room was as cold and cruel as the people it belonged to. She was confused. Why would the room take the form of the room in Malfoy Manor in which she had been tortured by Bellatrix? Bellatrix was dead, and Hermione had been close to dead when she'd last been in the room. She'd been trying to forget the memories that had taken place there, and had almost succeeded. She hadn't thought about the events at Malfoy Manor in days, but apparently her subconscious wasn't giving up so easily. Maybe the room was telling her she needed to conquer her fears. Hermione wasn't sure she was really afraid of the room itself though, just the memories. Still…

Hermione heard a gasp, and whipped around, startled, her wand in a defensive position. A boy clad in all black stood in front of her, his hair platinum white, his eyes an icy blue. "What are you doing here?" She blurted out, uncertainly.

Draco Malfoy looked at her, equally startled. "What are _you_ doing here?" He shot her question back at her.

"I like to come here. I thought you and your parents left after the battle." She stared at the boy in front of her, not knowing what to think. She had such bigger problems than a school bully at the moment, but over the past year or two Malfoy had proved he was more than just a school bully, he was dangerous. He was a death eater. Harry said he didn't think Malfoy would've really killed Dumbledore, but…

"They did." Malfoy's voice startled her out of her thoughts. "I thought it would be better to stay then to run." His voice was flat and devoid of emotion, but she thought she caught a glimpse of bitterness in his expression.

Hermione's instinct was to console him, but this was Malfoy, and he wouldn't appreciate it. She considered letting go of her wand to show she didn't want to fight unless she had to, but noticed he was also gripping his wand defensively. They stared at each other for another tense minute.

"So that's why the room morphed into this." Hermione realized.

"What?" Malfoy asked tightly.

"I just realized why the room looks like this." Hermione said a little louder. "I mean, it makes sense that you would want to see your childhood home after everything."

He gave her a strange look. "You think I chose this place because it comforts me?" He asked.

Hermione bit her lip but didn't say anything. Why else would he have picked to see the Manor?

A dark look passed over Malfoy's face. "I saw you and dozens of others tortured there. This place doesn't hold happy memories for me either, Granger."

That made Hermione think. Malfoy didn't care about anyone but himself, and maybe his family. Why would he care if she was tortured there? "Why does that matter to you?" She asked cautiously, keeping her wand at the ready.

Malfoy glared at her. "I know you think of me as some sort of monster, but I don't watch people get tortured for fun." He spat. "Just because Bellatrix is my blood relative doesn't mean I'm anything like her. Or _was_ my relative, I guess." He met her eyes there, no apparent emotion, just waiting for Hermione's reaction. Hermione didn't know what to say. He didn't seem particularly bothered by his aunt's death, but at the same time, she was close to the people who killed her. She almost wanted to apologize for that, but it wouldn't be sincere. Hermione believed in sparing as many as possible, but Bellatrix and killed and tortured to many to go unpunished. The horrible things she had done… Even Malfoy would never do any of those things.

"I never said you were anything like her." She said quietly.

Her words seemed to surprise Malfoy, who looked sad, and slightly confused for a second. "How do you know?" He asked, still sounding guarded.

Hermione had once been practicing her legilimency on Harry and had seen into one of his Voldemort episodes. She had seen Draco being forced to torture a death eater by Voldemort. "Because," She answered, "I don't know what you've done, but Bellatrix took pleasure in hurting others. You did it because you had to, to save your family."

Malfoy seemed to ponder this for a second, and he looked slightly less tense, but still kept a guarded expression. "Are you going to tell anyone you saw me here?" He asked Hermione.

Hermione looked taken aback. "I don't know. Why?"  
Malfoy took a step towards her. "You can't tell anyone." His tone was threatening.

Hermione frowned at him. "I can tell anyone I want."

Malfoy looked mad. "No, you can't!" He exclaimed, his voice rising. "I'll be put in Azkaban as soon as anyone knows where I am and you know it!"

Hermione took a step back. "No you won't. They have to give you a fair trial, it's illegal not to."

Malfoy let out a humorless laugh. "You think they'll give death eater's a fair trial? You're delusional. All the evidence they need against me is right here on my arm." He yanked the sleeve of his robe up to reveal his dark mark. Hermione wasn't surprised. The trio had suspected he'd had the dark mark for a long time, and Harry had seen it more than once, but even though Hermione knew it was there, seeing it was different. She wondered if there was some sort of muggle/muggle-born repelling charm on it.

"Disgusts you doesn't it?" Malfoy was watching her closely.

"You were forced to get that mark." Hermione tried to hide her true feelings. Yes, it repulsed her. She remembered how Bellatrix had had her finger inches away from her identical mark, about to summon the dark lord, when-

"Granger?" Malfoy was looking at her, eye brow raised.

"What?" Hermione snapped, feeling foolish, caught lost in thought by Malfoy of all people.

"So you aren't going to tell anyone?" He asked her slowly. Hermione sensed an unspoken threat hidden in his words.

Hermione hesitated for a moment before responding. "No." Malfoy's face relaxed visibly. "But if I even suspect you're doing anything wrong-"Her voice was rising to a louder, higher pitch.

"I know; you'll turn me in." Malfoy finished flatly.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not sure I have to. The ministry will be sending Aurors after you soon, trying to round up all the escaped death eaters. People who murdered and tortured innocent-"

Malfoy whipped out his wand suddenly, Hermione brandished hers too and the two stared at each other for a moment. "Just don't tell anyone you saw me here." He said for about the tenth time in the last minute or so and turned to walk away.

"I'll send someone to check on you tomorrow to make sure you're not doing anything." Hermione called to him.

He turned around and was suddenly right in front of her, gripping her shoulders tightly. "You will not! I told you, you can't tell anyone you saw me, not even your precious Potter can know I'm here. Got it?"

Hermione stepped back out of his grasp, startled. "I didn't mean Harry, I meant a teacher or-"

"No!" Malfoy snarled. "Tell no one. Check on me yourself if you really have to." He said bitterly.

Hermione raised her chin, trying not to look intimidated. "Fine, I will." She turned on her heel and marched out of the room, feeling more confused and conflicted then she had upon entering the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you to anyone who reviewed, sorry this chapter is kind of short but instead of posting long chapters once every week or two I write smaller chapters but update frequently. The shorter "prequel" to this story is posted, it's just a one shot (will be two shot) about what happened between Ron and Hermione, just as background info. Sorry this is so long, enjoy!**

 **\- Geniusbooknerd (Skylar)**

When Hermione stepped out of the Room of Requirement she immediately tensed. The corridor had been dimly lit be a few torches when she'd entered the room, but now the flame from the torches were gone. The corridor was cold and still, illuminated by a strange, silver light that flickered, giving it an icy feeling. Dust floated in and out of the musty corridor. Hermione took her wand out of her robes and held in front of her as the silver light grew brighter. Suddenly, a patronus came galloping into view and Hermione exhaled, knowing dark wizards couldn't produce patronuses. The silver horse neighed suddenly and Ginny's voice came out of it, echoing off the dark walls. "Hermione, if you're listening, please come to the Great Hall, it's an emergency." Ginny sounded calm but Hermione knew her well enough to detect a trace of fear in her friend's voice.

Hermione began running towards the Great Hall. "Expecto Patronum!" She whispered as she ran along, wondering if there was an attack on the castle. She didn't have time to send a message, she just hoped Ginny would understand she was okay and coming. She stopped suddenly in front of the huge doors that led into the Great Hall before pushing them open. Someone screamed as the doors flew open. Inside, all the students that were staying at Hogwarts either because they had nowhere else to go or to help clean up the aftermath of the battle.

"Hello Hermione." Luna said dreamily, swaying off to the side of the room, breaking the silence.

"Hermione!" Hermione was suddenly embraced by two red heads and another boy. Hermione was startled by the hug.

"What's the emergency?" Hermione asked urgently.  
Harry and Ron both look at Ginny, who blushed slightly. "Well there _was_ an emergency!" She said defiantly. She turned to Hermione. "About twenty minutes ago part of the castle collapsed." Ginny said grimly. Hermione's eyes grew wide. She hadn't been in the Room of Requirement for that long, had she?

"Everyone's okay." Harry told her, trying to reassure her.

"We were just really worried about you." Ginny added, a little accusingly.

"Yeah." Ron chimed in. "Where were you, anyway?"

Hermione swallowed. "I couldn't really sleep, insomnia's been a bit of an issue lately." She was sure her friends would understand, it seemed like everyone suffered from nightmares lately. "So I went to the library to get some reading done and then fell asleep." She continued. "I guess the sleeping draught Madam Pomfrey gave me just took a while to kick in, that's probably why I didn't hear the commotion." Hermione felt bad for lying to her friends, she didn't even really know why she was. She hadn't told them about using the Room of Requirement because she needed somewhere she could find some solace, not that she didn't love her friends. Harry was like a brother to her, Ginny was the closest she'd ever come to a sister, and Ron… She did love Ron, just not in the way she'd originally thought. She loved him in a _platonic_ way.

"Hermione? Are you listening?" Ginny asked exasperated. Harry and Ron shared an amused look.

"Yeah, sorry." Hermione pulled herself away from her thoughts.

"What Ginny was saying," Harry summarized, "Was that we don't know why that part of the castle just collapsed. Hermione, we think it might've been an-

"Attack?" Hermione was suddenly alert and analyzing the situation.

"Yes." Harry looked relieved that she'd caught up. "And we were wondering if you could do some research and try to figure out if it was an attack and then if it was, maybe who it was?" All three of her friends looked at her hopefully.

Hermione's first instinct was to agree and immediately head to the library, but she couldn't help feeling a little insulted that they just stuck her in the library. "I'm not the librarian." She said firmly. "If you want library research you should ask Madam Pince."

Ron made a face. "Please Hermione? We didn't mean to offend you or anything, your just way better at research then us, and Merlin knows you know your way around the library than anyone else in this school." Some of the students around them laughed.

Hermione couldn't help smirking slightly, it was true after all. "Alright." She gave in. "But I'll have to survey the collapsed part first along with about twenty others so we can see how much damage has really been done and clues to if it was really an attack." There were lots of nods. "You can volunteer now if you want to come." She added, a touch uncertain.

A few minutes later Hermione had a small group of volunteers assembled in front of her. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had all volunteered of course. Neville, Luna, Dean, and Seamus weren't a surprise either. There were a few Ravenclaw, two Gryffindors Hermione didn't know very well, and even a Hufflepuff and Professor McGonagall. The only person who really surprised Hermione was Tracey Davis, a Slytherin. Hermione didn't say anything, though. "Alright, thank you for volunteering." She began. "Harry, why don't you lead us to the site of the- well we'll call it an attack for now." She saw Harry look slightly amused, probably because he knew Hermione was making him lead because she didn't know where to go.

"Wands at the ready." Hermione reminded the group as they followed Harry out of the Great Hall. Hermione was surprised when Harry led them to the West tower, where the Owlery was. Or used to be. Hermione's stomach lurched as she looked at the huge pile of debris where the West tower used to stand.

"At first we didn't realize what was going on, we just heard a really loud noise." Harry began explaining somberly. "Then we saw hundreds of owls in the sky and we all ran out of the Gryffindor tower to see what was going on. After we ran outside we saw this." He gestured around him.

"Hermione." A shaky voice said. Hermione turned and saw a very pale Neville.

"What?" She asked, then looked at where he was pointing. Hermione felt like all the wind had been knocked out of her. Some of the windows on the seventh floor had been shattered or smashed in. Hermione could see the ceiling had caved in, but how? She had just been in the castle and hadn't heard anything. A silencing charm must've been cast around the whole section. "Harry hand me the map." She said quietly, hoping no one else would hear. Harry understood and immediately handed her the Marauders Map. Hermione scanned it over quickly until finding the section that had collapsed.

"That's the Fat Lady's corridor." She was horrified, and so was everyone around her. "The West Tower must've been a distraction…" Suddenly she was struck with two realizations. Number one, the Gryffindors wouldn't be able to access the Gryffindor tower. Number two, the Fat Lady's corridor was on the seventh floor, so was the Room of Requirement. Malfoy was in the Room of Requirement. Even though the Room of Requirement was probably the most magical location in the school and Hermione didn't care for Malfoy very much, she had to check on him. Any decent person would make sure he was okay. "Guys, I'll be right, back." Hermione said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm going to see if it's safe to check out." She added in response to the curious looks she was getting.

Hermione cautiously made her way up to the seventh floor, but no where near the caved in corridor. She kept her wand at the ready as she approached the Room of Requirement, but then suddenly stopped as it hit her. Malfoy. He had done this. She had been stupid! And if there was one thing Hermione wasn't, it was stupid. She could picture the scene now. Malfoy coming into Hogwarts, shooting spells at the Owlery after using a strong silencing charm, then flying to the Fat Lady's corridor and blowing up the ceiling which went unheard by the students because of a simple _muffialto_. After being safely out of the way, he probably heard Hermione's footsteps and hurried into the closest room possible: The Room of Requirement. Hermione wanted to kick herself. The caved in part was around the corner, she wouldn't have even seen it. She managed to refrain from blasting the door (that was now appearing) off it's hinges and casting a bat-bogey hex at Malfoy. Instead, she gripped her wand tightly and swung the door open. She slammed it behind her and marched over to Malfoy, who was standing facing the fireplace. She stuck her wand right in the startled boy's face. "You liar!"

Malfoy managed to looked emotionless. "I don't know what you're talking about." She glared at him. "Really." He added after seeing her face.

"You expect me to believe that?" Hermione snarled. He was just insulting her intelligence at this point.

"Yes." Malfoy said in a monotone voice.

Hermione looked ready to smack him. "I'm talking about the corridor to the Gryffindor tower. The one that was just blown up."

He looked surprised. "Blown up?" If Hermione didn't know better, she would've thought it was genuine.

"Yes." She said angrily. "By you."

Now Malfoy looked mad. "What the bloody- you dare?" He stepped towards Hermione. "You dare to accuse me without any evidence?" Malfoy was furious.

"Well, as you pointed our earlier, I don't need any more evidence than that!" Hermione exclaimed, pointing an accusing figure at Malfoy's forearm, where she knew the Dark mark was.

Malfoy looked ready to crucio her. "I didn't blow anything up! I don't know if you've realized this," He began sarcastically "but I'm actually trying to stay _out_ of Azkaban."

Hermione didn't have a witty response ready. "Well, you can't prove you didn't do it."

"Ah," Malfoy smirked "but you can't prove I did. It seems we're at a stale mate, Granger."

Hermione realized she was letting her feelings get the better of her. She needed to think logically. Hermione bit her lip, thinking hard. The most likely suspect was Malfoy, so she had managed to convince herself he was definitely guilty. She grudgingly admitted to herself there was a chance he wasn't. "There is a way to prove whether you did blow up the hall or not." She announced. She knew it was risky, and she could be wrong, but still. Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a pensieve in the Manor?" She asked tentatively. Malfoy must have understood her train of thought because he turned without a word and walked through the doorway at the other end of the room. Hermione followed him after hesitating for a split second. Through the doorway Draco had disappeared through was a long hallway. In between each of the many doorways was a portrait of an aristocratic looking lady or man, all of whom she assumed were Malfoys. Draco went up to one of the portraits and muttered something to it. The pompous looking man nodded and the painting swung open. _Just like the Fat Lady's painting did._ Hermione thought.

"We're here." Malfoy announced.

Then she saw the room they were stepping into and gasped. "Where are we?"


End file.
